Мор - ученик смерти

           Cutwellwasn’tmuchgoodatsmalltalk,otherwisehe’dneverhavelethismindwandersufficientlytoallowhimtosay:’Whatmadeyoudecidetobecomeaprincess?’

           Afterathoughtfulsilenceshesaid,’Itwasdecidedforme,youknow.’

           ’Sorry,I—’

           ’Beingroyalisasortoffamilytradition.Iexpectit’sthesamewithmagic;nodoubtyourfatherwasawizard?’

           Cutwellgrittedhisteeth.’Um.No,’hesaid,’notreally.Absolutelynot,infact.’

           Heknewwhatshewouldsaynext,andhereitcame,reliableasthesunset,inavoicetingedwithamusementandfascination.

           ’Oh?Isitreallytruethatwizardsaren’tallowedto—’

           ’Well,ifthat’sallIreallyshouldbegoing,’saidCutwellloudly.’Ifanyonewantsme,justfollowtheexplosions.I–gnnnh!’

           Kelihadsteppedoutofthedressingroom.

           Now,women’sclotheswerenotasubjectthatpreoccupiedCutwellmuch–infact,usuallywhenhethoughtaboutwomenhismentalpicturesseldomincludedanyclothesatall–butthevisioninfrontofhimreallydidtakehisbreathaway.Whoeverhaddesignedthedressdidn’tknowwhentostop.They’dputlaceoverthesilk,andtrimmeditwithblackvermine,andstrungpearlsanywherethatlookedbare,andpuffedandstarchedthesleevesandthenaddedsilverfiligreeandthenstartedagainwiththesilk.

           Infactitreallywasamazingwhatcouldbedonewithseveralouncesofheavymetal,someirritatedmolluscs,afewdeadrodentsandalotofthreadwoundoutofinsects’bottoms.